


Silent Flight

by wisteriathecat



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Angst, Oneshot, Sad, Tragedy, probably AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 08:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18340040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisteriathecat/pseuds/wisteriathecat
Summary: The journey was a quiet one, punctuated by wingbeats, but even those were far and in between.





	Silent Flight

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hi!  
> This is by no means my first fanfic, but it is the first one on AO3.  
> Cross-posted from FF under a similar name.

Quiet.

Heavy.

Cold.

That was all Tuuri could feel at the moment.

The last of the bubbles had escaped long ago—or recently? She did not know.

Nor did she care.

She floated in darkness, on top of the water, waiting for the swan to ferry her away to Tuonela.

The swan dived, but landed softly in front of Tuuri, with the barest of ripples.

_ Fly _ , the swan seemed to say,  _ I will guide you. _

Had she been bound by the logic of the living, she would have scoffed at the notion.

But she wasn’t. Not anymore.

She rose from the water and embraced the air. With each flap, Tuuri felt lighter, shedding the water droplets and the mortal realm as she ascended.

The swan followed, and it wasn’t long before she was lagging behind, although not by much.

She only looked back once, marvelling how small the world was from above.

Her eyes landed on Lalli, his figure only a speck against the earth.

_ It’s funny _ , Tuuri thought,  _ Lalli was taller than I was. _

_ But now… _

A pang of regret.

_ I’m sorry Lalli. I should have told you. _

It was too late, of course. She could only look towards the time she would be able to see him in Tuonela, hopefully years later.

The journey was a quiet one, punctuated by wingbeats, but even those were far and in between.

The curtains of clouds and stars parted, uncovering the vast expanse of the dreamworld. The murky black seemed to welcome their presence, uncovering lights above them like a trail.

In the far off distance, she could see the Bird’s Path. As they drew closer, she could faintly hear the chatter of thousands of birds.

As they passed through the dreamworld, Tuuri spotted a familiar looking bird.

(Although how she recognized him was still a mystery.)

“Onni.”

Memories, however faded, rose to the forefront of her mind.

_ “Onni, don’t you ever wonder what it’s like outside of our village?” _

_ “No.”  _

At least she fulfilled her wish.

“I-”

_ I wanted to see you one more time. _

_ I wished you came along with us. _

_ I don’t regret it. _

_ It wasn’t your fault. _

_ It was my choice. _

“I’m sorry.”

The owl looked up.

“Someone should have told you.”  _ I should have told you. _

A misty barrier shimmered into view, muffling the words from below.

“Don’t be sad!” Tuuri tried to sound optimistic, “We’ll see each other again someday, you know that.”

Despite her words, she felt heavy with guilt. She began to slow down, increasing the distance between her and her guide.

Small black tendrils shot out from beyond the barrier and wrapped around her. They started to pull her back, away from the Bird’s Path.

_ No!  _

She fluttered desperately, trying to break free.

A lynx leapt out of the fog and slashed at the tendrils, shredding them into pieces. 

“Lalli?”

There was a spark of recognition but it quickly vanished. It growled as more tendrils rose, eager to reclaim what they saw as theirs.

“Go!” A sound, so familiar yet not, wrenched her heart.

She could not go back, lest the Illness take hold of her again.

Tuuri continued, higher and higher, and the symphony of birds grew louder and louder…

Until it fell away completely and all that was left was all-encompassing silence.

Landing on the far shore, she looked around. The landscape was a desolate grey, with still water that reflected the deep purples of the sky. It was a tranquil place, with nothing stirring.

She had arrived.

The swan landed beside her.

“Where’s Grandma? A-and Ӓiti?” Wasn’t she supposed to meet them all in Tuonela?

The swan dipped its head. 

_ Sleep. _

“Can I wait for Onni? And Lalli?”

_ Sleep, little one. You will see them soon. _

“But-but-” In spite of her protests, she slumped to the ground.

The world grew dim, the silence muted.

For the last and final time, Tuuri slipped into the darkness.

 


End file.
